Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-01
NURSERY RHYMES.
THE PROBABLE ORIGIN OF MOTHER
GOOSE'S MELODIES.y

GOOSE'S MELODlESc
''Littie Jack Horner"-"Cinderella and
the Glass Slipper''-"Blue Beard"
Wilmington and His Cat"-'The
Babes in the Wood"
a correspondent has asked for the origin Of
Mother Goose's Melodies have paid some
attention to the subject and am satisfied that
the most Of them originated with Elizabeth
Foster, who became the second wife of Mr..
Isaac Vergoose. Her daughter married
Thomas Fleet, who in Ills established
printing house in Pudding lane, Boston. It
was for the amusement Of his children (her
grandchildren that she chanted her pleasing
ditties. Mr. Fleet, her son-in-law, issued the
rhymes in book, which met with wonder
full sale. Mr.. Newell boots at this story and
talks in bewilderingly learned way; says
they are synonyms of French tales, dating as
far back as the time of Charlemagne and Ru-
dolf of Burgundy. He quotes Perrault's vol
ume of tales published in 1897, and entitled
"Contes de ms mere rOye," and the writings
of the satirist Regnier, who lived a century
before Perrault. Mr.. Newell doesn't present
much proof Of his assertion, and to give it
here would not be Of much Importance.
1t might surprise you were to tell you that
many of the rhymes and incidents in fiction
had hardpan Of facts for their foundation
/ have only space to call attention to few.
Take for instance the familiar nursery rhyme
of Little Jack Horner" There are several
versions of the story upon which it is founded.
One version is that the abbot of Glastonbury
had offended Henry VII by building his
kitchen so substantially that the destroyers Of
the monasteries We're unable to throw it down.
In a rage the king sent for the abbot, who,
hoping to appease the monarch, sent to him
the steward, John Horner, with wonderful
pie, the interior of which was composed of the
title deeds of twelve n1anors. But as John
Homer sat in the corner of the wagon that
carried him to the king he was induced by
curiosity to lift the crust and to abstract
therefrom title deed, which on his safe re-
turn home he showed to the abbot and told
him that the king had given it to him for q
reward. The deed was that of the manor OF
Wells. The second version of the story
changes the scene to Wells and the steward t.
Col Horner, and the king hangs the abbot.
Tie third version changes Wells to Mells and
the colonel to q country lad.
Why even the story of cinderella and the
Glass Slipper dates back to classic times. Bur
ton, in his Anatomy of Melancholy" quotes
from ELAN fabulous incident upon which
the story of Cinderella was undoubtedly
founded. "Rudolphe was the fairest lady in
her days in all Egypt. She went to wash her,
and by chance (her maids meanwhile looked
but -carelessly to her clothes eagle stole
away one of her shoes and laid it in the lap OF
Psammeticus, the king Of Egypt, at Mem
phis. He wondered at the excellency OF the
shoe and pretty foot, but more aquillR fac
tum tat the deed of the eagle, at the manner Of
the bringing of it, and caused forthwith proc
lamation to be made that she that owned that
shoe should come presently to his court. The
virgin came and was forthwith married tc
the king" Now it did not require much in
ventive genius to change the story little
bring in the godmother, the rats and the
pumpkins, the ball, the stroke of twelve, the
flight the naughty sisters, the advent of the
couriers, the worshipfulness Of the prince and
all that
Perrault, the author of "Blue Beard
founded his story on the history OF real
person. The original was Giles de Retz, lord
of Laval, who was made marshal Of France
in 1929. He was born in 14O6, and fought
under the command Of Joan of Arc. He
lived like king in his castle, had guard OF
honor, fifty choristers, musicians, etc. and
squandered his substance in riotous living
Then he took to studying sorcery and magic
He decoyed little boys and girls into his cas-
tie, and there inundated them with Pagan
rites On Oct. 26, 1440, then being 81 years
old, he was burned in the city of Nantes, in
the presence of a vast multitude. The rec
ords of his trial, which lasted month, are
preserved among the manuscripts Of the pub
lie library in Paris. In one of his castles the
bones of forty-six and another of eighty
children were found. Marshal de Retz was
certainly the type Of Perrault's story. In his
lifetime he was known by the sobriquet Of
Barbe Bleu.
The story Of Wilmington lord mayor OF
London and his cat is borrowed from tbs
east Sir William Gore Ousely, speaking OF
the origin of the name of an island i'll the
Persian gulf, says that in the Tenth century
one keis, the son of a poor widow in Siraf
embarked for India with his sole property,
which consisted of cat. "Hc fortunately
arrived there ct time when the palace was
SO infested by rats that they invaded the
kings food, and persons were employed tc
drive them away from the royal banquet
Keis produced his cat; the noxious animals
disappeared. lie was magnifcently re-
warded, seat for his mother and brother, and
settled on the island which was subsequently
called after him.
The popular legend of the "Babes in the
Wood was q disguised recital of the reported
murder of his young nephews by Richard
III. Throughout the tale there is marked
resemblance toseveral leading facts connected
with the king and his brothers children, as
well as = correspondence with historical de-
tails. In an old black letter copy of the
ballad there is rude representation OF q
stag, which is significant, because stag was
the badge of the unfortunate Edward VI
observer" in Philadelphia Call.